Combination head latch and chute gate



July 21, 1959 R. T. SMITH COMBINATION HEAD LATCH AND'CHUTE GATE-- 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. n. 1957.

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INVENTOR.

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y ,1959 m. SMITH' 2,895,451

COMBINATiON HEAD LATCH AND CHUTE GATE Filed om. 11, 1957 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2" v v 60 r -F/g.3 o a I v Q Ralph r' smi'm 4. I 'INVENTOR.

BY.- ""M COMBINATION HEAD LATCH AND oHUTn GATE Ralph T. Smith, Gainesville, Fla. t Application October 11, 1957,Serial No.689 ,5 12ii 4 Claims. 01. 119-99 1 This invention relates generally to a piece of equipment for cattle pens, and more particularly to a combined head latch and chute gate. i

' Heretofore in the art when it' was necessary tohold cattle in position for various operations, such as dehorning and branding, it was necessary to drive the cattle into a pen and then use a head latch for holding them in place. Furthermore, when any gate was used, it was always necessary to back up the cattle before the gate could be swung open. Therefore, it is the primary object. 25'

respectively in substantially the same plane. It is to be of this invention to provide a combined head latch and chute gate wherein the cattle will not have to be backed ofiin order to open the gate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combined device wherein the cattle do not have to be brought in :and taken out of the pen where the head latch is located from the same end, as previously in the art, but the cattle may be led to the head latch, and when the operation is finished, they may be taken out from the opposite end of the pen, thus allowing a quicker and more efficient operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a head latch to hold cattle by closing a latch on a cows neck, which may be operated by one man and thus save considerable amount of time.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the combination head latch and chute gate demonstrating its attachment to a cattle chute;

Figure 2 is an elevational plan view of the device illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the device, illustrating the same in its open position; and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane defined by reference line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the combination head latch and chute gate comprising the present invention illustrating this device as connected to a cattle chute 12.

The usual type of cattle chute comprises vertical members and horizontal boards connected thereto so as to form a generally square or rectangular channel through which cattle may pass. One of this type of cattle chutes is designated by the numeral 12. At the forward position of the chute 12 may be seen the combined device 10 which is composed of a framework of angle members.

The combined device 10 has asupporting frame 14 to 2,895,451 Patented July 21, 1959 which it is attached. This frame generally consists of parallel vertical members 16 running along the ground and in alignment with the parallel sides of the cattle chute 12. At the forward corners of horizontal members 16 are connected vertical beams18. Horizontal beams 20 and 22 connect the lower and upper ends respectively" of the vertical members 18. Spaced rearwardly from and in parallel to vertical beams 18, are other vertical beams 24, which are connected along their lower ends by a transverse horizontal member 26. They are further' connected at their upper ends by horizontal member-28 which is parallel to horizontal member 26. The upper corners of the two quadrangular frames are connected by coacting beams 30. i

Near the medial portion of horizontal beams 26 and 20 are connected short support members 32 which are connected in. perpendicular relation to the beams 26 and 20. The supports have upstanding flanges 34 extending therefrom, and swinging members 36 and 38 are pivotally connected thereto at their lower ends. As can be seen in Figure 1, pivotal member 38 extends upwardly further thanthe member 36 for a reason which will be explained below. C-shaped frames 40 and 42 are connected to pivotal members 36 and 38 respectively. The solid panels 44 and 46 are disposed in C-frames 40 and 42 Brace members 50 are pivotally connected to flanges 48 and secured to pivotal members 36 and 38, to add sup port thereto. p

Extending outwardly from one of the members 30, is a projecting flange52, which has a lever 54 pivotally connected thereto. It will be noted that this lever 54 has a handle portion 56, and an extending upper portion 58. At the upper end of portion 58 of lever 54 is pivotally connected a connecting link 60 which is also pivotally connected to the upper end of pivotal member 38.

A latch bar 62 having teeth 64 thereon is pivotally connected to pivotal member 36 near the other end thereof, and is pivotally connected at its other end to lever 54 at a point below its connection to flange 52. A latch 66 is pivotally connected as at 68 to the vertical beam 24, and this latch rides in a slot in support bracket 79 which is mounted to vertical beam 18.

Thus it may be seen that when cattle are led through the chute, the head latch may be opened to the position illustrated in Figure 3. Then, the head of the cow may be placed between the two bars, and upon force exerted downwardly on handle 56, the bars will close upon the head of the cow and hold the animal in place. It will be noted that as the bars are closed the latch will lock the latch into closed position, and the handle cannot then be opened without first lifting up the latch. As can be seen in Figure 1, this device can also be used as a chute gate, to prevent the entry or exit of cattle when it is not desired.

It can now be seen that I have herein shown and described a new and improved type of combined latch and chute gate for cattle.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use at one end of a chute, a readily openable and. closable gate structure comprising a framework embodying an outwardly disposed open rectangular frame,

an inwardly disposed corresponding open rectangular frame in alignment with the first named frame, conlelism, a pair-of vertically disposed door membershave ing lower end portions hingedly anchored .on support, members provided therefor between the lower frame memebers of saidin-ner and outerframes, one of said door memobers extending through and upwardly beyond. the space.

existing between the horizontal frame members of said inner and outer frames and havingv an elongated pushpull link pivotally connected at one end thereto and the other end extending; when the ,door members are closed, ,tor a-position outwardly beyond the-vertical frame members ,Of

saidl-inner and outer frames, an operating levenhavinga median portion hingedly connected toan ,upper cornenpon-i tionofsaid frame str-ucture with one end pivotally..connected to an adjacentvend of said push-pull link and the other end formed into a:conveniently accessible and usablehandle, the other door-memberhaving itstp pper end extending through and beyondthe space between the. horizontal frame members but terminating below. the,

upper end .of the first named door member, andnornple: mental doors mounted on and operable by the respective door members and cooperating with each other inznolimally spanning and closing the space tothe left andrright of the median portion of the frame structure, Vand an. operating connection between a median portion of said.

lever and a median portion of the adjacent-doortmemher.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said; operating connection comprisesa latch bar havingrratchet,

teeth, andra gravity-lowered pivotally mounted latch having a median portion releasably engaged with said teeth, said latch being disposed atright angles to the lengthwise axis of said latch bar.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein each doorcomprises a panel, said panel having an edge connected with a median portion of the cooperating door member, said panel being marginally surrounded by aVU- necting members joining therespective cornerportipn srof the respectiveinner and outer frames ,ln spaced papal-,-

, lower end to a lower median portion of said frame strucure. 1 'ha in i s upper en extending. rough :the

space and beyond said inner and outer frames and having one end of a push-pull link connected thereto, a second dogr cooperable with the first named door and H having a door member opposed in vertical parallelism to said first narned-- door member but shorter than said first named door member but with its upper end extending slightly beyond the space between the inner and outer frames, a latch bar having one end pivotally connected to the upper end portion of said second named door mernherrand'having its-upper edge provided with ratchet teeth, an operatinglever having a median portion hingedly' mounted on a corner portion of said frame structure.

andqhaving -ioneend hingedly connected to said pushpull linkand having its other end portion formed witha handle,..antadjacentoutward end of said latch bar being; pivotally. ,eonnected .to a median portion of said lever bQlOWqthG hinge connection between the lever and frame.

structure, and a latch of, a gravity lowered manually liftable type having one end-pivotally connected with the inner frame ,of said frame structure and its other end extending, forwardly beyond the outer frame and itshinatermediate portion releasably engageable with said ratchet teeth.

References Cited in the file of this, patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,166,450 Dolan Jan. 4, 1916- 1,227,712 Watson May 29, 1917" 2,113,741 Peterson Apr. 12, 1938 2,732,827 Grell Jan. 31, 1956 

